Bone Cancers in Mayak Workers

Abstract

Bone cancer mortality risks were evaluated in 11,000 workers who started working at the "Mayak" Production Association in 1948-1958 and who were exposed to both internally deposited plutonium and external gamma radiation. Comparisons with Russian and U.S. general population rates indicate excess mortality, especially among females, plutonium plant workers, and workers with external doses exceeding 1 Sv. Comparisons within the Mayak worker cohort, which evaluate the role of plutonium body burden with adjustment for cumulative external dose, indicate excess mortality among workers with burdens estimated to exceed 7.4 kBq (relative risk = 7.9; 95% CI = 1.6-32) and among workers in the plutonium plant who did not have routine plutonium monitoring data based on urine measurements (relative risk = 4.1; 95% CI = 1.2-14). In addition, analyses treating the estimated plutonium body burden as a continuous variable indicate increasing risk with increasing burden (P < 0.001). Because of limitations in current plutonium dosimetry, no attempt was made to quantify bone cancer risks from plutonium in terms of organ dose, and risk from external dose could not be reliably evaluated.

The cancer epidemiology of radiation

“…Estimates of historical doses are being improved, especially the organ-specific doses from plutonium, but external doses are sufficiently accurate to allow approximate risk estimates to be generated. Clear and large excesses of lung, liver and bone cancers (sites where plutonium will accumulate) were found to be related to assessed plutonium exposure Koshurnikova et al, 2000;Kreisheimer et al, 2003). These cancers were also associated with external exposure and, as a grouping, the ERR coefficient was found to be 0.30/Sv external radiation (90% CI: 0.18, 0.46) , after adjustment for exposure to plutonium .…”

Studies on the Mayak nuclear workers: health effects

“…For external dose, the ERR per Sv at age 60 was estimated to be 0.2 (95%, CI: -0.04 to 0.7). Studies on bone and liver cancers have been performed by Koshurnikova et al [6] and Gilbert et al [7]. In these studies relative risks in the highest plutonium exposure category (estimated body burden >7.4 kBq) were estimated to be 7.9 (95%, CI: 1.6-32) for bone cancer and 17 (95%, CI: 8.0-36) for liver cancer.…”

Female Pelvis: Genital Organs

“…The most common histological subtypes are osteosarcoma and malignant fi brous histiocytoma, although other histologies (e.g., angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma) can occur. It is estimated that the risk of developing osteosarcoma in irradiated bone is 0.03-0.8 % (Kalra et al 2007 ;Huvos et al 1985 ;Koshurnikova et al 2000 ;Arlen et al 1971 ;Mark et al 1994 ;Enneking et al 1980 ;Kaplan and Meier 1958 ;Nakanishi et al 1998 ;Mertens et al 2000 ).…”